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Exa: mataram.antaranews.com
Exa: mataram.antaranews.com
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Chat with Bali Zero on WhatsAppIndonesian immigration authorities arrested a foreign DJ and a group of foreign dancers following an enforcement operation conducted by the Mataram Im
Indonesian immigration authorities arrested a foreign DJ and a group of foreign dancers following an enforcement operation conducted by the Mataram Immigration Office (Kantor Imigrasi Mataram) in West Nusa Tenggara province. The individuals were detained for violating their izin tinggal — the Indonesian legal term for stay permits — by engaging in paid employment under visa categories that do not authorise work.
Under Indonesian immigration law, specifically Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration (UU Keimigrasian), foreign nationals who wish to work in Indonesia must hold two separate documents: a Limited Stay Permit (KITAS) endorsed for employment purposes, and a Foreign Worker Employment Permit (IMTA) issued by the Ministry of Manpower. Foreigners entering on tourist visit visas (B211A), social-cultural visas (B211B), or any other non-employment permit category are explicitly prohibited from receiving remuneration for services performed on Indonesian territory.
The entertainment sector — which spans beach clubs, nightclubs, resort events, and live music venues — has historically been a focal point for immigration enforcement. The prevalence of foreign nationals performing or DJing on visitor permits is well documented across Indonesian tourist destinations, and authorities have stepped up operations to address what regulators describe as the displacement of local workers and systematic circumvention of labour and immigration rules.
Mataram is the administrative capital of West Nusa Tenggara and the primary urban hub for Lombok, a destination that has seen rapid growth in tourism infrastructure over the past decade. The Mataram Immigration Office has jurisdiction over a region that is increasingly attracting foreign nationals drawn by Lombok's surf scene, villa economy, and nightlife — patterns that closely mirror those observed in Bali's development arc.
Foreigners detained for immigration violations in Indonesia face a range of administrative and criminal consequences. The most common outcome in enforcement operations targeting the entertainment sector is deportation to the individual's country of nationality, often accompanied by a temporary or indefinite re-entry ban. Employers, venue operators, and event promoters who knowingly engage foreign nationals without proper documentation may also face criminal liability under Article 185 of Law No. 6 of 2011, which prescribes penalties of up to five years' imprisonment and significant financial fines.
This arrest is a structural reminder, not an anomaly. Indonesian immigration enforcement has expanded beyond Bali into every destination where tourism revenue concentrates and foreign workers follow.
Lombok's entertainment scene has matured quickly, and the regulatory apparatus is keeping pace with that growth.
For anyone operating in the hospitality, events, and creative sectors in Indonesia, th
e key takeaway is architectural: there is no compliant shortcut in the Indonesian work permit system. Whether you are a resident DJ with a weekly set at a beach club or a visiting choreographer running a ten-day masterclass, any paid engagement on Indonesian soil requires a local sponsor entity, a KITAS carrying employment authorisation, and a separate IMTA. The two-document requirement is statutory, not discretionary, and the cost of non-compliance — deportation, a re-entry ban, reputational damage to the venue — dwarfs the administrative cost of doing it correctly.
The employer-side risk deserves equal attention. Indonesian law places explicit liability on venues and promoters who knowingly engage undocumented foreign talent. As enforcement operations become more systematic and visible across multiple provinces, operating in this grey zone is no longer merely an ethical risk — it is an active legal exposure.
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